Handcuff-lock construction



April 6' 1926. 1,579,333

, E. E. NEAL' HANDCUFF LOCK CONSTRUCfljLON Filed Sept. 12, 1922INVENTORl Elmerflflea,

BY raid,

A ORNEYS NETE ELMER E. NEAL, OF LANGI-IORNE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOPEERLESS HANID- i CUFF COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

HANIDCUFF-LOCK CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed September 12, 1922. Serial No. 58?,723.

T 0 all whomt't may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER E. NEAL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Langherne, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania,have invented new and useful Improvements in Handcuff-Lock Construction,of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates particularly to lock constructions forhandcuffs or the like although it is capable of embodiment in lookconstructions of other types.

The object of the invention is to improve lock constructions of thegeneral character above indicated for the purpose of positively insuringagainst any possibility of picking the lock.

To the accomplishment of this object the invention consists in thefeatures of construction and in the combinations and arrangements ofparts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will beobvious to those skilled in the art.

The invention will be explained in connection with the accompanyingdrawings illustrating what is at present considered to be the preferredform of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view, in side elevation, of a handcuif in which the presentinvention is embodied 1 Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the handcufi shownin Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevational view of a portion of the handcufi'shown in Fig. 1, disclosing particularly the locking mechanism, one ofthe face plates of the lock frame being removed to disclose the workingparts;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substan tially in the plane indicatedby the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a View corresponding to aportion of Fi 3 but showing a modification of the invention.

The present invention is shown as e1nbodied in a lock constructioncomprising certain operating parts which are similar to correspondingparts disclosed in applicants copending application, Serial No. 552,254,filed April 13, 1922, and assigned to the Peerless Handcuff Company ofSpringfield, Massachusetts. Although some of the features are notnecessarily limited thereto,

the lock construction of the present invention is specifically adaptedfor use and is claimed in combination with a handcuff of the type shownin the application referred to. Consequently only a brief and generaldescription of the handcufi its-elf and of the common features of thelock mechanisms will bogiven, reference being had to said applicationfor a more detailed description, if desired.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the handcuff therein showncomprises a solid'rotatable locking arm 1 which is curved to embrace oneside of the wrist, and

a pair of parallel arms 2 and 3 which support the rotatable arm, 1 andare curved to embrace the other side of the wrist. The

locking arm 1 is pivoted upon a rivet 4t which oins one pair ofcorresponding ends of the parallel arms 2 and 3 and holds said armsspaced apart just far enough to allow the arm 1 to swing freely betweenthem. The other pair of corresponding ends of the parallel arms 2 and 3are enlarged to serve as face plates or covers 5 for a U-shaped lockframe 6 which is held in place by rivets 7 and serves, in conjunctionwith the face plates 5, to provide a recess within which the lockmechanism is housed. edge of the rotatable arm 1 is toothed, asindicated at 8, the teeth extending for a considerable distance from thefree extremity of the arm and being adapted to cooperate with lockingmechanism in the do scribed recess. The arm 1 is further provided ateach side with a groove 9, these grooves being on arcs struck from thepivot center of the arm 1 and being adapted to receive rigid posts 10 onthe face plates 5 which serve to prevent the arm 1 from being priedinwardly when locked.

As heretofore constructed, the teeth on the rotatable arm were ratchetteeth such as shown in the drawings of the application The outer 1,while the ratchet teeth 32 are adapted to be engaged by the ratchettooth 18" on the latch lever 20.

lVhile the locking mechanism has been herein illustrated and describedas including the sliding bolt 25 which functions to effect the doublelocking of the handcufi", it should be understood that the use of such amember is not essential to the present invention, and that theconstruction of the lever 20 and the plungers 2 and 26 may be modifiedin various ways. It should further be clearly understood that thisinvention is not in any way limited to the use on the arm 1 and pinion15 of teeth of the particular shape or type shown as in practice it maybe found desirable to modify the form of these teeth more or less. Thescope of the invention therefore is to be determined from the appendedclaims rather than from the foregoing description.

WVhat is claimed is 1. The combination in a handcufi' of two lockingarms, one pivoted to the other and arranged to swing through a completecircle, a member located on the other arm and ro tatable about a fixedaxis and adapted to be operatively engaged and positively rotated bysaid first arm during a part of the swinging movement of the latter, alatch normally operating to check the rotation of said member in onedirection while allowing it to rotate freely in another direction,thereby locking said first arm against swinging movement in onedirection only, and a casing enclosing said member and latch.

2. The combination in a handcufi' of two locking arms, one pivoted tothe other, and arranged to swing through a complete circle, a toothedwheel located on the other arm and rotatable about a fixed axis, teethon said first arm adapted to intermesh with the teeth of said wheel torotate said wheel, and a latch engaging with the teeth of said wheel andoperative to check the rotation of the wheel in one direction whileallowing it to turn freely in another direction, thereby locking saidfirst arm against swinging movement in one direction only and a casingenclosing said wheel and latch.

3. In a handculf, the combination of a fixed part, a locking means insaid fixed part, and a toothed locking arm pivotally mounted on saidfixed part in a manner whereby it may be revolved so as to be broughtinto or out of operative relation with said locking means by acontinuous motion, said locking means comprising a latch, and a toothedwheel rotatable about a fixed axis between said latch and arm, the teethof said wheel being adapted to intermesh with the teeth of said arm andalso being engaged by said latch whereby said wheel and said arm areprevented from moving in one direction while they are permitted to movefreely in another direction.

d. In a handcuff, the combination of a fixed part, a locking means insaid fixed part, and a toothed locking arm pivotally mounted on saidfixed part in a manner whereby it may be revolved so as to be broughtinto or out of operative relation with said locking means by acontinuous motion, said locking means comprising a latch, a pinioninterposed between said latch and arm and rotatable about a fixed axis,the teeth of said pinion being adapted to intermesh with the teeth ofsaid arm, and ratchet teeth on said pinion engaged by said latch wherebysaid pinion and said arm are prevented from moving in one directionwhile they are permitted to move freely in another direction.

5. A look construction of the character described comprising, incombination, a movable member having teeth thereon, a toothed wheel forengagement with said member, a spring pressed latch for said wheelautomatically operable to permit movement of said wheel in one directionbut not in the opposite direction, means manually operable to hold thelatch to lock said wheel against any movement and a lock casing to guardsaid latch within which said wheelis mounted on a fixed axis, and meansin said casing providing access by a key to unlock the parts within andadditional means to manually operate from without the casing the partswithin the casing for a locking operation only.

6. A lock construction of the character described, comprising a movablemember having teeth thereon, a toothed wheel for en gagement with saidmember, a latch for said wheel to automatically engage said wheel andprevent its movement in one direction only, a slidable bolt operable tohold said latch to present any movement of said wheel, a lock casing forthe latch and bolt within which said wheel is mounted on a fixed axis,said casing having an opening in line with one end of the bolt wherebythe latter may be moved to a functioning position.

7. A look construction of the character described comprising a movablemember having teeth thereon, a toothed wheel for engagement with saidmember, a latch for said wheel to prevent movement of said wheel in onedirection only, means movable to position to hold said latch forpreventing any movement of said wheel, a casing for containing all thelock parts within its outer surface and providing access for manuallypositioning said means in addition to the use of a key.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. 7

ELMER E. NEAL.

